Now available in the Onshape App Store, openBoM is a cloud-based BoM management tool for manufacturing companies and hardware startups.

Manufacturing is increasingly becoming distributed. Hardware startups and small manufacturing companies are often working with teams across multiple locations spread out across the globe. This creates the need to coordinate design and engineering tasks together with manufacturing planning, sourcing and contract manufacturing.

Bills of Materials (BoMs) are the lifeblood in the process of engineering, supply chain sourcing and manufacturing planning. Small and distributed manufacturing companies and hardware startups are looking for a modern cloud-based tool capable of managing BoM records, inventory, and collaboration without adding the overhead of complex enterprise tools or drowning in Excel spreadsheets and emails.

openBoM is a new kind of cloud BoM management tool that combines the concepts of modern revision management tools, the simplicity of Excel spreadsheets, and the instant collaboration and simultaneous editing of Google Docs.

As you know, Onshape is also structured to address distributed business database applications. For example, Onshape has integrated PDM functionality that allows its users, wherever they are, to manage design versions in a seamless way.

The philosophy of openBoM is very much aligned with the new data management and collaboration principles developed by Onshape. This allows openBoM users to automatically take part information from the CAD design and store it within the BoM tool.

openBoM makes it possible to extend Onshape design with the ability to manage Bill of Materials.

openBoM is making Bill of Materials shareable and reference-able across distributed environments in ways that transcend technical drawings and spreadsheets. With openBoM, Onshape users can now track their BoMs across networks of engineers, supply chain managers, and contract manufacturers.

openBoM Features

openBoM’s first release includes core BoM management and collaboration tools including integration with multiple CAD systems. It also includes:

What’s Next for the openBoM App?

As a full-cloud application, openBoM will continuously expand features to meet the growing demands of small manufacturing companies and hardware startups, including but not limited to:

Inventory management

Intelligent change reports

Online catalogue integration

Video: Importing BoMs from Onshape to openBoM

Start using openBoM today. It is free to Onshape users when accessed via the Onshape App Store. Let us know what you think. Please send your feedback and suggestions to support@openbom.com.

Oleg Shilovitsky

Oleg Shilovitsky is CEO and co-founder of OpenBOM, which provides an online tool to develop Bill of Materials and Part Catalog for manufacturing companies and supply chain. He is also a technology blogger at Beyond PLM, a leading source for information and commentary on engineering and manufacturing software. Shilovitsky has been building software products for data management, engineering and manufacturing for the last 25 years. He has developed PDM and PLM software and worked for companies such as SmarTeam (acquired by Dassault Systemes), Dassault Systemes ENOVIA, Inforbix (acquired by Autodesk) and Autodesk.

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